Rockers React: Pantera / Hellyeah Drummer Vinnie Paul Dead at 54

The music world was stunned Friday night (June 22) with the announcement that legendary Pantera and Hellyeah drummer Vinnie Paul died at the age of 54. A representative for the drummer confirmed his death in a social media post, but no additional details were given concerning his passing.

Paul came to fame as the drummer of the Texas-based metal band Pantera, where he starred alongside his brother "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. The band issued nine albums between 1983 and 2000 before splitting up. After the band's breakup, Paul and "Dimebag" Darrell went on to form Damageplan; they released their lone album New Found Power in 2004. The band's run was short lived, with Dimebag Darrell being among those murdered when a former marine charged the stage at Columbus, Ohio's Alrosa Villa nightclub where the band was performing, and opened fire

In the aftermath of the horrific shooting and loss of his brother, Paul eventually returned to music after receiving an invite from members of Mudvayne and Nothingface, who were forming a new band called Hellyeah. Along with singer Chad Gray and guitarist Tom Maxwell, the three musicians remained the core of the band to current day, issuing five albums since 2007's self-titled release.

Paul was a beloved figure in the rock and metal community and, as expected, a wealth of tributes to the late drummer have been pouring in via social media. See some of the commentary on the loss of Vinnie Paul below and check back as we'll continue to update this page as more comments come in.

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